Here's Lucy (TV Series) Lucy Visits Jack Benny (1968) User Reviews

Lucy's Palm Springs "Honeymooner" Weekend

[kgraovac · 8/10 · 24 November 2023]

Lucy's Palm Springs weekend offers "reasonable rates" for lodging and turns out to be the home of Jack Benny.

This episode is a fan-favorite and while I am not a Benny fan, it has a decent script with some good laughs and one of the GREATEST sitcom cameos of all-time when Jackie Gleason shows up as Ralph Kramden at the end. It is such a big moment it kind of overshadows the whole episode.

The are some cute jokes about Kim's bathing suit, a running gag of Benny nickel-and-diming everything (of course), and reference to Racquel Welch - who was the go-to girl from this era to the mid-Seventies whenever writers needed a joke about a sex symbol.

This episode is a treasure!

[george_cherucheril · 10/10 · 22 April 2024]

I loved this episode because it has it all. I enjoyed traveling back to 1968 and watching Lucille Ball with her real life kids, Lucie, 17 and Desi Jr., age 15. These kids were good in their roles. They are likable and innocent. I recognize both Mom Lucy and Dad Desi in each of them. This was only their second episode together. The only thing we never got was Desi Sr. Think of how awesome it would have been if Desi Sr. Could have played Dad on the show. But of course Lucy and Desi's divorce in 1960 forever ended this possibility.

The sets were bright and fun in 1968. Lucy favored orange carpets in the same style I remember we had in our house when I was a child. As the episode opens we see Lucy and the kids packing up for a nice trip. Lucy has found a place with inexpensive rates in a nice part of town. Harry decides to come along. It all seems innocent but it's well worth it to continue watching.

Lucy and party land at Jack Benny's house. It turns out Jack has been renting out his place to make some extra bucks, because he likes money. Right in line with Jack's character, he starts to nickel and dime Lucy and Harry. Jack's got a great view of Raquel Welch's place and one can see her in her bikini laying out in all her glory. He gets Harry excited about this and then charges him to rent his binoculars to see close up.

Fun is the operative word here. I loved spending time with Lucy, Jack, Harry and the kids and seeing how nice they were and getting to experience some of the innocence, civility and warmth that we no longer have today.

The ending makes this one of the best Lucy episodes. Some tourists show up and Jack serves them hamburgers and hot dogs for a price. The bus tour guide announces that the bus driver is hungry and would like some food. The great one, Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden walks on and grabs a hamburger. This is the greatest walk on! I was caught off guard and felt a sense of awe. I treasure this episode.